The Clean Up Crew
by Overworkedunderwhelmed
Summary: Chat Noir will do whatever it takes to keep his partner safe. It's a messy job...but not without its own rewards. (Spoilers for Season 2 and up through Oblivio in Season 3)
1. Chapter 1

Chat Noir slid the tiny USB drive into a zippered pocket for safe-keeping.

With a languorously slow stretch, he dove down from glow of the observation deck and into the dark, spinning his baton to drag and slow himself to a less painful speed before the baton rebounded him back off the ground, scrambling back home.

This one hadn't come cheaply. An autograph and a promise to drop in on the security technician's son's birthday party.

But it was still a small price to pay in return for keeping their secrets - and expunging the camera record from the Eiffel Tower's records.

He scrambled over rooftops and roads, desperate to get home and quick.

Film was apparently the one thing Ladybug's Lucky Charm couldn't fix.

In the aftermath of Nadja Chamack's tangle with a dark butterfly, it had become clear to him that one of them needed to do it.

Ladybug wasn't used to having to cover her tracks, but his life in the public spotlight had taught him well how to handle these sort of messy situations.

And it was his job to keep his Lady safe, after all.

* * *

Adrien toweled his hair as he stepped out of the bathroom. The warm shower would help him with the achy muscles post-patrol.

After a long day at school, no shortage of homework, and one extra long patrol, he had more than earned a little bit of relaxation.

And a little bit of prime battle footage. One that would never make its way onto the Ladyblog.

Adrien grinned, padded barefoot across the hardwood floor over to his desk to drop the damp towel into the hamper.

* * *

_"Don't worry, Kitty?"_ Plagg snorted, hovering over a half-devoured bowl of popcorn. He snorted, leering back at his charge through half lidded eyes. "Oh, this is just priceless."

The cat kwami jumped on top the mouse, pushing the buttons to copy the file onto the hard drive. "Wonder if I can sneak this to Tikki. Lord knows she could use the laugh, too."

With a blissfully ignorant smile, Adrien dropped into his desk chair. "Good footage?"

Spluttering, Plagg guffawed, rolling atop the desk until he was just barely able to wipe the tears out of his eyes. "Oh, kid. It's the best."


	2. Chapter 2

Chat plastered himself against the doorway, letting Plagg spiral out of the transformation and phase into the tiny office.

It had been ages since he'd first thought about it. Since then, he'd spent a fair number of patrols scoping out some of Hawkmoth's favorite haunts to spot any cameras he could.

He could never be too careful - not when it came to making sure that Ladybug stayed safe. Plus, there were already far too many images of Chat Noir embarrassing himself as Ladybug led a "Scaredy Chat" about Paris without this particularly incriminating video of him babbling shamefully on the edge of the second level.

Though, to be fair, it wasn't everyday you were filmed in a panicked free fall off the Eiffel Tower. He smiled guiltily at his own delightful pun.

Sighing, Adrien stood from where he was crouched as Plagg finally jostled the lock open.

Tugging the block of Camembert out of his shirt pocket and tossing it to Plagg, he rolled a desk chair into perfect position to review the triple monitor setup, and got to work.

The door might have been locked, but the computer? Not so much.

He'd only been here once before, but his inside guy had clearly had been happy that Chat had kept his previous promise. And had very carefully left the camera listing out where he could find it quickly.

Adrien grinned, swiftly deleting the minute-long incriminating footage from the data folder, then noticed that the records actually went back the whole week. It was far enough that he could catch a glimpse of himself playing Princess in the Tower. With a Knight in shining red and spots to save him.

Patting down his pockets, he reached for the tiny thumb drive he'd stashed there to snag a copy for himself before deleting the original clip.

Plagg grinned through the footage. "I was the real hero there. And to think: the Master didn't want me to keep you both safe!"

Adrien beamed, ruffling the small tufts of fur between his Kwami's ears. "I couldn't have asked for a better pair of protectors!"

Plagg preened, pointing at the screen as the massive crack formed right beside Ladybug's feet. "Think we could save this bit, too?"

Winking, Adrien grabbed as much footage as the drive would allow, from every angle in that zone.

* * *

Five minutes later, Chat Noir sped out of the room, carefully locking it all behind him. He didn't dare to dawdle, but he was never more glad that he'd been taught to be thorough- especially since he now knew he could bring a precious treasure home thanks to his meticulous manner.

Plagg would be happy enough with his heroic feat captured on film, but the cameras at the tower had captured another moment he was glad to have committed to film: a blushing Ladybug quite literally sweeping him off his feet.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Thanks to Kellarhi and Enberlight for all their help!


	3. Chapter 3

After hours upon hours of Ladybug's words endlessly swirling around in his head, Adrien finally succumbed to a restless sleep filled with nightmares. He woke up in a cold sweat.

Today had been a disaster - at least according to his Lady - and her words were often prescient.

"What on Earth happened?" He echoed her words, a cooler palm pressed against his cheek, helping to quiet his labored breath.

Concerned, toxic green eyes peered back at him through the dark. "You alright over there?"

Adrien shook his head, brushing off the tiny beads of sweat dampening his forehead.

"Regardless of whatever else had happened in that building, Alya's photo wasn't faked. Ladybug finally fell in love with me… but I've forgotten all about it."

"Ehh…" Plagg murmured. "It's not all that unusual. I mean, the Akumatized always forget… not that they really forget all that much.

"You don't understand." Adrien grimaced. "I got so wrapped up in being hopeful about that kiss…" He trailed off, a little wistfully, for just a moment. "That I missed the big picture."

Plagg's eyes narrowed, as realization tugged him too from the throes of slumber.

"We need to know what else happened in there." Adrien murmured, resolute.

Tugging the covers back over his eyes, Plagg grumbled. "And we can find out tomorrow…"

Adrien darted over to his closet, digging out a jacket to go over his pajamas. "That's no good. Do you really think a big, business filled tower like Montparnasse wouldn't have cameras?"

Groaning, Plagg chided. "Kid, there's like 60 floors."

Adrien marched over to the mini-fridge, plucked out a block of Camembert, and set it on Plagg's pillow. "And, the two of us haven't spent so much of our off-hours Cat-burgling footage for nothing."

Munching on the pungent block thoughtfully, his Kwami murmured. "We really have been getting better at it, haven't we?"

Between what he'd gathered from his Father's own security system and what he'd gleaned from these late night ventures into the various security offices of Paris, he'd been able to puzzle out quite a lot.

He'd done some clean up after Anansi had managed to catch him in her webbing. And it had been an entertaining challenge to hunt down the location in City Hall that housed evidence of the frolicking he'd done on its roof as Malediktator's hench kitty.

"It's more than us just getting better Plagg… more importantly, some of those security officers have been nice enough to shed light on where these security offices tend to hide."

"Let me finish my Camembert first."

Adrien was grateful for Plagg's compliant attitude… even if Plagg only seemed inclined to preserve Chat Noir's superhero image just so he could cackle ruthlessly at some of the misfires and missed hits on endless loop.

It was fast becoming clear that the Heroes of Paris had to stay several steps ahead of Hawkmoth- which wasn't easy, considering he often seemed to strike at random, capitalizing indiscriminately on the rogue emotions of anyone he thought he could exploit.

But one battle - the one on Heroes' Day - had been different.

Hawkmoth's plan then was different; it had layers upon layers - much like those that were employed against his Akuma. Planning was Ladybug's strength, after all … along with good luck.

Adrien frowned. It was only a matter of time until his bad luck was bound to drag them both down. He couldn't stand the thought that she could be hurt on his account…

So, for the last month, he'd spent nearly every free hour poring through the footage he'd gotten from the Eiffel Tower of that day. Half of him - that inner voice that sounded suspiciously like Plagg - wanted to impress his Lady with how serious he could be.

But once Plagg pointed out that Hawkmoth's machinations seemed almost as complicated as Ladybug's, it quickly turned into a concerted effort, and Plagg also began earnestly searching for hints and clues they might have missed.

The danger in their situation weighed down on him more persistently as his self-appointed task wore on. . Every fruitless search added to his unease. Alya apparently hadn't been able to get close enough to get decent footage, and the news reels only got so far… It was hard for him to be her shield if he couldn't even see the threats that could be coming.

It struck him as funny how many photographs and videos remained even after Ladybug's powers was supposed to set everything to rights. But that only made him wonder if her powers were not nearly as complete as they both had thought.

Adrien's brows furrowed, as he toed his sneakers on and tugged a jacket around his body. He had inside information. But it was just a matter of time before someone else connected those dots.

And he could only hope he continued to get there first - before Hawkmoth could manage to.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes:

Thanks to Kellarhi! This chapter is a BEAST, and she did a wonderful job keeping me focused.

* * *

Even with the early spring rains, it was easy enough to sneak along the rooftops. Yet, it was far harder to find access into the building since he knew from his legwork that there were cameras throughout the inside. At least his night vision had come in handy.

Scaling up to the top of Montparnasse, moving with all the stealth and grace he could muster… was a challenge in the daylight. But on a rain slick night, with the occasional bolt of lightning arcing across the skies? It was next to impawssible...

For now, at least her eyes wouldn't be on him… so it was easier to focus on the task at hand...

Alighting down onto the rooftop, Chat spotted some vents. It might be a problem to try and sneak down multiple floors, but there was far less security up there. After quick visual surveillance, he noted a couple of cameras… they seemed to be positioned just to make sure no one managed to hurt themselves.

After a some quick thought, he decided it would be easier to get to the elevator shaft and use the baton to work his way down... except, finding the right floor was already going to be a problem without that as an extra hassle. None of the security cameras he'd spotted were outfitted with any motion detecting devices to alert security, so the stairs would work just as well for now.

He usually knew just what he was looking for… this time, it was untried territory. The Eiffel Tower staff knew him well, and let him take whatever he needed.

But Montparnasse? If he went in as Adrien Agreste, he could probably make an argument… something about worrying over rabid fangirls. But there was no way they would leave him alone in that room. And with no way of knowing just what he was looking for? They couldn't afford for anyone else to see what they might need to hide…

There was no telling what was on that footage - apparently enough for Ladybug to have finally fallen for him - but since he had no clue what was there, there was no telling the danger.

As curious as he definitely was… the fear of what else might be there drove him all that much faster.

As much as he wanted his lady to be with him for operations like this, her plans were forward thinking. "The best defense was a great offense"… and to a degree, that worked. But she did enough leg work with her quick-thinking lucky charms... and he was the shield. It was his job to puzzle out vulnerabilities. And Hawkmoth had upset the apple cart with his increasingly intricate plans. Chat fully suspected that he was also reviewing all the footage that was broadcast live.

So, it was just a matter of time before he came to the same conclusion that Chat had.

From his previous forays, he'd discovered that Security Offices tended to be a bit closer to ground level, to strategically handle any problem or waylay any threat… but sometimes, they had more than one. Their tour of the tower - before Oblivio had started to run amok - had helped a little bit. At least he had some idea of where to start looking.

He'd spent most of the early evening sighing over every scrap of news footage, committing the little evidence there was to memory. He'd spotted Ladybug taking a hit as they'd tried to escape with the rooftop elevator, but after that, everything went "dark". He'd deduced that it had taken approximately an hour before they had both eventually reappeared on the roof to finish their battle.

For that much time to have passed, it meant that he had to have been protecting her… somehow. And for his efforts? A genuine kiss from the woman of his dreams.

Prior to disappearing down the elevator, he had been trying - and failing - to catch her eye on the rooftop. There was a certain irony - and mystery - that he'd finally figured out the trick to doing it… only to have no idea how he'd managed.

He continued down the stairs, winding through hallway after hallway checking doors and avoiding any obvious surveillance. There definitely could be a few security offices in a building this large… and with his night vision - and any security notes hiding behind the doorways Plagg was jail-breaking for access - he was confident that he'd be able to clear the tower of any potentially incriminating evidence.

It had only taken them about fifteen minutes to locate one of the security offices… and another ten or so to find where all the camera footage was being stored.

So by the time they had entered the security room, a plan of attack was mostly formulated in Chat Noir's mind.

He had the initial time of the elevator "escape" from Nadia's footage, and - thanks to metadata - the time of Alya's picture that was posted to the Ladyblog. So he had a time frame in which to search the clips, and decided he could start from the end of the fight and work backwards to recover any footage.

Although he knew he'd be able to get into the camera feed, any other security details were likely locked behind the building's computer infrastructure. Meaning, there was no good way to tell exactly where that elevator stopped after they'd disappeared from view. He'd have to move through camera footage around that time floor by floor from the top down to figure out which floor the elevator opened at… and then make chase from there...

Before sitting down to start scouring the video, he re-locked the door as Chat Noir... but it was Adrien who pulled a gloved hand away from the door handle. He always used a pair of gloves to keep from leaving fingerprints, and having Plagg as a second pair of eyes was immensely helpful. But this time, he wasn't sure that the extra help would be enough to comb through it all.

The amount of footage was staggering, and within minutes, it was clear that it would be hard to establish a baseline. He was used to a continual feed, which these recordings apparently didn't do - maybe due to the sheer amount that would be required to cover most of the building? And the timing of what they were reviewing was shaky, at best. Finally, he caught a mere glimpse of his civilian form disappearing down a hallway… just as Oblivio's eerie form took over the screen...

But from there, it was as if he just disappeared.

The best that he and Plagg could figure at this point was that there were some locations they wouldn't place cameras - certain offices, and restrooms - as a matter of privacy and courtesy.

The pair kept scrubbing minute by minute from different sections of security tape, but hadn't found any other hint of himself... or Ladybug for that matter. After twenty minutes of searching, the only indication he'd even been there in the tower seemed to be that sole clip where he was escaping from Oblivio. It was like they'd just vanished after entering the elevator.

His eyebrows rose in excitement when he finally spotted movement in a clip… and a large vent fell away from the duct in a wall. He watched himself climb out, waiting to see his Ladybug in red. He was baffled when it was Marinette Dupain Cheng who toppled over him as he'd lifted her out of the vent.

"Had she been hiding away in one of the offices after Oblivio was unleashed?" He mused aloud. "She must have been hit with one of Oblivio's beams… and I must not have wanted to leave her alone…"

"That assumes you remembered anything, kid…" Plagg snickered as they watched their slow progression down the stairs to the exit. "You were hit by that Akuma, too. While you were Chat Noir… which means you had to have de-transformed somewhere."

Adrien shrugged. "It isn't like I remember any of the things I forgot… as Chat or Adrien. But, I didn't leave her alone… even if it seems like I left Ladybug alone…"

"Ladybug can take care of herself." Plagg chuckled. "Besides, pigtails might have thought she was rescuing you… assuming she hadn't been hit herself..."

"Still, separating doesn't sound like one of Ladybug's plans…"

"Maybe you split up to evade the Akuma before you both de-transformed… with plans to meet back up somewhere? Especially if either of you needed to refuel."

"And then I ran into Marinette?" Deep golden brows arched high. "That is possible… I just wish this had sound. I might be able to puzzle out what was actually going on."

On the series of small screens, Kwami and holder watched as the pair raced back up the stairs a fair bit to the relative safety of a large, open office.

Adrien was smiling softly at Marinette's unschooled panic as they chattered openly - in such an easy manner that he was actually a little jealous at this other version of himself.

But her adorable antics weren't as… anxious... as they usually seemed to be.

It only made him worry more. Why was it that she was normally so uncomfortable around him?

She'd always seemed just fine around him as Chat Noir... except for the time that she'd suddenly confessed to having feelings for him. That had been a little awkward, but at least she'd understood that he couldn't exactly get over his hopeless crush on his partner in Akuma-fighting.

He knew how tough it could be, pining away when it was entirely uncertain that anything would come of it.

He watched as they eventually pulled out their phones to try to reach the outside world. His own reaction told him that he had probably called his Father… he was almost 100% certain after he saw there was no answer from the other end.

They'd paced around the room a little, Marinette gesticulating wildly… with a little more frenzy and fervor that added to the general anxiety he felt over what he might find…

Video Adrien mimicked the wild actions, only settling himself once Marinette had slumped back down against the flat surface of the support beam. He was somewhat relieved to see the same from himself on the monitor. He couldn't see her as well from this angle...at least not until she'd swung around to show him her own phone screen... but they were both clearly trying to plan, and looking over their phones...

Plagg just snorted aloud at the antics, muffling his grumbles into a bit of Camembert. "All these heart eyes you two keep sending at one another are making me struggle to keep this down, you know?"

Adrien just rolled his eyes. "You've never struggled to keep down cheese in your very long life…"

But he had very much doubted the words of his Kwami, at least until he saw Marinette's soft expression in return. He hated that the visual was dark and grainy.

Plagg was definitely more eagle eyed, a lilting sneer in his voice. "Aaaand… L-O-L. What is on her phone screen?"

As Adrien tried in vain to figure out what Plagg was seeing, the two on screen suddenly bolted over to the window. Oblivio stalked into the room shortly after that, and the last thing they saw in the clip was Marinette tugging an alarmed looking Adrien to safety. What sort of hero am I supposed to be?

Plagg froze, his ears visibly flattening against his head in the dim light of the monitors. "I take it back. That thing is super creepy up close… and especially without my powers to protect you."

"But I had to get out somehow… I wouldn't have made it to the rooftop otherwise."

"Maybe you got hit again?" Plagg mused, biting into another bit of cheese he'd pilfered from the pocket of Adrien's hoodie. They watched with some trepidation as the pair from hours ago plotted behind large desks. "I mean, there are worse powers an akuma could use… though I wonder what you might forget if you got hit a second time…"

Wide eyed, they witnessed the Akuma hefting entire workstations across the room in the apparent game of chase they'd been having. Adrien saw that he'd leaned down to whisper something to Marinette… but it was evident that she had already come up with some sort of plan of her own from the vantage point.

They appeared to be sitting in anxious silence as the Akuma drew ever closer. At least, until Marinette swiped his phone, rueful smile plain on her face.

Plagg snickered. "Yeah, I heard she was good at that…"

"Hmm?" Adrien peered back over his shoulder, taking his eyes away from the screen for the briefest moment. His own face was hard to see from this angle… and they could hardly see a thing already since the two on screen were still crouched down.

He could just barely see Marinette's pigtails as he watched himself creep away with her beneath the desks. It was freaking him out, leaving him all too worried that his friend was going to get caught. It felt like one of those jumpscare horror sequences. He shook his head, trying to stay focused on something - anything - that he could control. "It's funny, you know? Marinette's plan actually reminds me a lot of Ladybug. She doesn't go the most direct route very often… and it was really clever of Marinette to quickly come up with a distraction that would keep us safely out of sight."

The pair escaped Oblivio once more, by dashing into the stairwell.

Frowning, Adrien puzzled over the boards where the footage was playing, struggling yet again to get a visual of where he and Marinette were both in the stairwell.

Plagg just kept chuckling, steadily working his way through the stash of Camembert and bemoaning the lack of popcorn.

The trail continued with a single clip of Adrien running off into the stairwell without her.

Nervously wringing his hands as he watched the monitor, Adrien could barely blink- considering she was nowhere to be found, it really looked as if Oblivio had caught up to Marinette in the video. Why else would she have disappeared?

He knew that he got away - eventually - but was eager to find proof that Marinette did too. Despite the Miraculous cure, he always hated to see bad things happening to his friends. He was resolved to fight harder and keep them safe.

Plagg continued poring over the monitors as Adrien swapped a few of the feeds. Although they had yet to find the two classmates together in the stairwell, the original footage from before continued, and after Oblivio ran from the room, Adrien watched himself sneak back into the office from the stairwell with Marinette in tow.

Plagg's eyes narrowed as he watched the two just talking to each other. "Who are you guys calling now?" he asked, as he watched Marinette hold up her phone for a call over the speaker.

Adrien's eyes squinted as he tried to make out the details on the screen that Marinette was holding up. "No idea. Safe bet that it wouldn't be Nino or Alya… not with them already Akumatized." He tapped a gloved finger against his lips as he tipped back in the rolling chair. "She probably called her parents back. Maybe she was trying to find some way out… or someone to pick us both up?"

Meanwhile, on the screen, Marinette and Adrien were both freaking out a little bit, panicking as the Akuma clearly was up to something outside Montparnasse. It must have had to do the major orb Oblivio had generated. He'd only seen it from the news replays, and it hadn't been in the earliest reels...

Adrien shook his head, watching as Marinette wheeled around on the screen.

He hadn't had a clue why they both weren't running away, fleeing back to the lower floors at least.

Not until the soft glow of scarlet and pink started to flood the screen.

Adrien gaped, fingers digging into the arms of the rolling chair. It was impawsible for them not to.

He had only spotted the fleeting glow and her arms moving in the shadows before the camera angles switched. But there was no doubt in his mind what he was seeing. He'd seen his own hazy version himself on occasion in his bathroom mirror. But this time, even the grey toned screen couldn't mask the truth.

Marinette hadn't been separated from the class. At least not accidentally.

No, she had been pulled into all of this mess - from the very beginning. She had been the one hiding at his side, all along.

It was too much information, all at once, and his mind was reeling from the revelation. But as he watched himself on the screen, he couldn't help but notice that he wasn't even really reacting to the news. Why wasn't he reacting more? He must truly have lost his memory - the whole of it - when he took the hit from Oblivio. There was absolutely no way he'd forget how much just knowing who she was would mean to him. And he would never forget wanting to know her - not if there was any way for him to remember.

He didn't realize he'd spoken aloud until Plagg answered. "But you did. Otherwise we wouldn't be in this fix in the first place…"

Adrien paled. "I don't understand."

'Understand what?" Plagg's green eyes narrowed. "That she's Ladybug? I would have thought it happening in front of your eyes would finally erase that mystery…"

"Not that…" Adrien grimaced, standing as his hands bracketed the screen… searching for some elusive clue. "Well… not only that. Why am I not joining her? Clearly, she figured out how to transform… so why am I not transforming, too? No. I'm just standing there, beaming... like that was the most incredible thing to witness in my life."

And, in a way, his far more oblivious self wasn't wrong…

He sighed, pressing his forehead against the screen. He would have given anything to remember that soft smile directed at him… and not committed to electronic memory on a grainy camera that had to be at least a decade old.

At least the quality would make it hard for anyone else to make heads or tails of it. But he was definitely going to have to erase it all…

It was too risky even taking it home...

"If you're quite done being hopeless… at least we know for sure that you did transform… even if it took a few extra minutes." Plagg chided, puffing his chest up as he hovered valiantly over Adrien's shoulder. "I can only assume that I'm off trying to tail after the Akuma… and derail him from you. I can phase through walls after all…"

Adrien exhaled unevenly as he plopped back into the chair.

Ladybug - Marinette, he corrected mentally - looked puzzled, peering over her yo-yo as he hovered at her shoulder on the screen, screaming and scrambling back as she accidentally summoned her Lucky Charm.

In a way, it was like watching it all over again, right from the uncertainty at the beginning, when they were both just learning to battle together.

He'd almost gone complacent in his review when Ladybug scrambled all the way across the room, leaving his onscreen self to follow aimlessly, picking up a makeshift baton as he trailed in her wake.

It was only when he could spot those her pigtails - a clue that would probably haunt him for the rest of his days - that he felt the fullest weight of the realization land. If only she hadn't stopped him from looking all those months ago, he might have noticed her already standing beside him almost from the very beginning of their partnership...

Although he looked distraught on the series of screens, he was even more so in the current moment. Every fiber of his being screamed that even now he should be standing with her… beside her.

Those pangs of worry ebbed away once he noticed that Ladybug had grabbed his hand… lifting up ever so gently on her tiptoes before backing away, clearly smiling… and clearly on a mission.

It wasn't until he saw that his hand lingered at his cheek that he was sure...

"Oh gross!" Plagg whined. "Did she just give you another kiss?"

His gloved hand ghosted over his cheek. He didn't need sound… he knew exactly what he must have said as his past self stood dumbfounded in the vast, open office space before turning back out to see the massive memory orb darkening Paris's skies.

Those same words running through his head now…

She had kissed him… once to save him… and once when his own words had made her feel as appreciated without the mask as she was so often while behind it.

But this kiss? This one was freely given.

He still wasn't sure what he'd said - or what he'd done - to win her favor.

"Kid…" Plagg hissed softly, ears perked.

It wasn't loud… but it was enough.

He'd moved just in time, mere seconds before the door creaked open, allowing the night security guard to shine a light into the darkened room.

Chat Noir didn't dare to breathe - and barely dared to blink his eyes open when the light was turned in his general direction... where he had wedged himself up into the corner of the ceiling. His ears were perked at the ready, claws lingering over his baton in case he had to act quickly.

The chair he'd occupied still spun slightly, creaking as it turned. The guard hesitantly stepped in, the tentative but heavy footfalls of a clearly spooked man. The guard's grip would no doubt match his own, as it drifted back towards his weapon.

The screens were all clear as a beam from his flashlight cut across them… all but the one room, with desks overturned… and one teenager, standing in the middle of the mess, looking up at the sky.

The guard cursed, scowling and squinting at the corner of the screen before wheeling about and heading back out the door on a tear.

Glancing back down at the screen as the guard must have seen it, there was no doubt where he would inevitably be headed… and that he would come up empty handed and suspicious.

On the screen, he could see his earlier self already scrambling around the room, pulling together every spare scrap of tape and office supply he could find, to play at being a knight in corrugated cardboard.

Chat Noir grimaced... glowing green eyes reflected back from the curved display as he summoned his cataclysm, and crackles of darkness pulsed beneath his claws.

There was little doubt that his mission tonight would have to be cut short. He could only hope that this little string of luck would still hold. That he'd be able to hide or eliminate the damning amount of evidence that existed in this tower, and that it all really was being kept in just this room alone.

Otherwise, he'd already managed to do enough damage for one night… damage that not even Ladybug's miraculous magic could manage to erase.


	5. Chapter 5

The tiny drive weighed heavily in his less destructive hand as he paced back and forth through the tiny, darkened room. As a sometimes superhero, the slight weight would never have usually registered in his mind.

Chat Noir's eyes narrowed. Filled with the earliest findings from his dive through the camera footage through the upper floors of Montparnasse, it was both a blessing and a curse. As much as he hated the thought of destroying its contents, he couldn't afford to screw this one up. Not with so much on the line...

Resolute, his eyes flashed as he tossed the drive up from one hand and caught it in his other claw... obsidian shards committing the device to ashes. First mission accomplished… now, to decide if he should push it, and attempt to see if there was any other footage before leaving for the night.

Of course, it was just his own awful luck that the squeak of the door hinge made his decision to get out quickly for him.

The security guard exhaled sharply, huffing after the energy he'd exerted when rushing out after the phantom Adrien of earlier. He hefted his flashlight, dragging the beam quickly from one side of the room to the other.

As the light reflected off the sheen of leather, Chat's muscles tensed to action, ready to dart away fast...

"Thank goodness." The security guard whistled, pressing a beefy hand to his barrel-shaped chest as he entered the room, then plopped down into the chair. "I was worried over who might have managed to break in; not a single sign of access from the lower floors. But at least you make a lot more sense."

"You aren't… freaked out?"

"About coming across a hero of Paris?" The guard snorted ruthlessly, digging a protein bar from his pocket and snagging a bottle of water that had been sitting atop of the screens. "I figure you have to be here to pick up something that got left behind."

Chat smiled ruefully, feeling a bead of sweat building behind the mask as the first paw print on his ring started to blink. He coughed loudly to obscure the sound. "I mean… you're not wrong."

The guard simply shrugged. "As powerful as you both must be, I have to figure you're only human beneath the mask. Even in the comics, powers always seem to have some type of shortcoming."

The guard nodded sagely as he said this... greying temples peeping out from under his uniform cap as he stared down the array of screens. "So, what is it that you need? I need to get you out of here before the night manager catches wise… a stickler for rules, you know?"

Chat Noir stood to his fullest, most intimidating height. The guard would surely dwarf him if he stood back up, but he didn't have long to press his advantage. "I need to make sure that there isn't any other footage remaining from the whole time of the attack."

The guard peered back over his shoulder at Chat - his eyes widened - and he let out another low whistle.

Grimacing, Chat Noir pressed on. "To be honest, I'd rather keep a copy myself. But it isn't safe. Not for me… nor my family. Not for anyone else who might get in Hawkmoth's way."

"Huh…" The guard mused aloud. "And the big bad hasn't really ever pulled any punches..."

Chat Noir nodded. "Not that I can recall. And - another kiss with my Lady that I can't remember notwithstanding - there is too much chance that something in here could put every single person in this building at risk. Hawkmoth hasn't come back for the footage yet. But it's just a matter of time. And none of us can afford for Hawkmoth to have any hints on how best to defeat us. Or, what kind of weaknesses we might have…"

"Well, this area covers only the upper floors…"

Chat winced, pointing dolefully at the the dusty mess that had fallen to the floor as a chime rang out into the room. "I was in the midst of pulling the footage when I suspected that could be a problem…"

The guard sighed. "I can loop the footage up here, provided you didn't pull all of it for the day. But there is another data station to cover the lower floors. You have any idea how far down you were?"

"Honestly?" Chat sighed. "I don't remember."

The guard swiped off his hat, rubbing the back of his hand across his forehead. "You're sure if we delete that footage that everyone here will be safe?"

"Families, too. As safe as I can keep you." He beamed, holding up his crossed fingers into the thin beam of light from the hall. "Chat's Honor."

The guard's brow furrowed, hefting himself up and away from the desk. "Stay here for a bit. I'll be back with the rest."

"Thank you…"

Chat Noir didn't hesitate once the guard left. His fingers drifted to lock the door as he called off his transformation. "Eat up, Plagg. We don't have much time."

"We're still here?" Plagg's eyes widened as Adrien tossed him an additional half chunk of Camembert. "And I thought it was only my luck that was bad…"

Adrien sighed. "There was more data after all… we almost missed it. But… luckily... I got caught. I'm just not sure how long we have before the guard comes back."

* * *

Chat Noir wove through the halls following the guard's careful guidance. He had to avoid most of the cameras - the ones that the guard wouldn't easily be able to mask - as the guard himself headed up to the rooftop on his routine patrol.

He waved to the older man as the elevator doors parted and the guard stepped through to perform a perfunctory loop of the rooftop. "I formatted the drive downstairs. And I'll cover up your escape when I get back down to my station…"

Chat Noir's shoulders slumped in relief. "I really can't thank you enough."

The guard chuckled, steps heavy against the wet concrete. "No problem. I created this little trick so I could sneak in an extra break here or there… might as well use it. At least it went to good use this time."

Grinning, Chat Noir extended a claw.

"Mind if I get a picture?" The guard smirked, accepting the handshake. "My wife is a bit of a fan. She just spent all of dinner gushing over your little kiss up here." He winked merrily. "You see, once upon a time, I managed to propose to her up here when this building was nearly brand new."

Chat beamed, leaning into the frame. "If I can ever purrsuade Ladybug to marry me someday - after this has all ended - I'll be back with an invitation for you and your wife."

* * *

Chat Noir sighed, before swinging away out of the night and back in through his own window, dodging the cameras his father had littered about their rooftop.

Still damp from the storm, Adrien fell wearily into his bed as Plagg spiraled free of the transformation.

The guard's romantic optimism was infectious, giving him fleeting hope. But the slippery, rain-slick rooftops on the journey home gave way for all for the harshness of reality to set in.

The closer he got to home, the more Adrien had realized that lovely dream might ever only be just that.

Marinette didn't like him.

At least, she didn't like him any more than as a friend. Of that, he was sure. She'd never said anything. In fact, often enough, she barely spoke to him at all... except in jumbled statements.

Ladybug told him herself - more often than he'd ever hoped to hear - that she had feelings for some other boy. Of course, if Marinette had liked him, surely she would have admitted so when the posters in her room were revealed to all of Paris.

Or, when most of Paris thought she was his secret girlfriend when she'd helped him sneak away to see his mother's movie.

But no… she was just a fan of his work… and an even bigger fan of fashion.

He'd seen her incredible creativity on a near daily basis, and that creativity included a talent for fashion, too. He had no doubts that her hard work ethic would ensure that she would make it in the industry; you didn't sit as close to the camera as he did without hearing the perks and the pratfalls.

She worked so hard in fact… that he was starting to recognize another problem.

She was so serious about being Ladybug - about keeping them both safe - that she specifically asked him never to find out who she was behind the mask. Serious enough that she'd never even asked for so much as a hint about who he was…

But now, he'd betrayed her trust… even without meaning to.

In working to eliminate the evidence that they'd even been there, he'd made a far greater mess. He'd wanted to keep her safe, but he'd only managed to put her more at risk.

He'd hoped for some hint about how he'd snagged her heart in the midst of it all… but the one clue he'd gotten had assured he might never capture it at all.

And the best that he could figure? The only reason she'd given him a chance today at all… was that she hadn't known who he was in the first place. She hadn't known they were friends. She hadn't known about her own feelings for this other guy. And it was all because Hawkmoth had seen to take her memories - and that agency - away...

Adrien sighed wearily, as Plagg devoured a fresh ration of Camembert with greedy abandon.

He was glad of Marinette's friendship. He always had been. Only, everything that he had done to try to keep her safe might even lose him that…

A queasy feeling came over him, and he realized… there was no way he could tell her. Even if he was willing to risk their friendship, he'd just destroyed every scrap of proof… aside from his word. And, there was no way she'd be happy with (or would welcome) a transformation - he'd suggested it before, but she always shot his proposals down, exasperatedly.

The large amount of insight he'd gained in a single day was staggering, but his mind didn't feel assuaged despite the things he knew now. There was no doubt in his mind that she truly didn't want to know his identity, and there was no way he could tell her that he knew hers. He knew that he would keep her secret - keep her safe - with every ounce of his being; he would have anyways.

But, the one thing that Adrien didn't know for certain was how he would (or could) prevent Hawkmoth from ever using him against her…

He closed his eyes, hugging a pillow tightly to his side. The villain had already done it more than once, and very easily brought back every prior weapon in his arsenal once before…

The trick to keeping Ladybug, well and truly safe, even from himself? That was the only thing he wished he'd learned today.

* * *

Notes:

The End? Well...not quite.

There's another one shot or two that I might add into this Messy-verse, after the episodes air. ;)

Stay connected! :3


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